Chapter 62
Barney Jones is the second son of the Ambard family, a venerable noble house in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Ridill.
In noble society, the second son and all younger sons are invariably treated as spares for the eldest brother. No matter how incompetent or foolish the elder brother may be, he is the one who inherits the family estate.
Barney knew that he was more capable than his elder brother. In fact, he was exceptionally talented. His academic performance was enough to make his tutors groan, and above all, he possessed a gift for magic. But so long as he was the second son, his elder brother would inherit the family estate, no matter what.
That was why he enrolled in Minerva, the foremost institution for training mages.
He wasn't aiming to become just some high-ranking mage. His target was the greatest mages in the Kingdom of Ridill: the Seven Sages.
Becoming one of the Seven Sages would earn him the rank of Magic Count, a title equivalent to a count. A Magic Count was a person of extremely high status, even permitted an audience with the king.
...If that happened, even Barney, the second son, could make his father and brother acknowledge him.
So Barney threw himself into his studies, and his efforts paid off. He achieved the highest grades in his year in both theory and practical magic.
(I'm different from my brother. I have talent.)
Even as a second son, there was a path to advancement. He firmly believed that he could forge his own path.
* * *
It happened when Barney was thirteen.
When Barney returned from a class held in another room, he found a girl surrounded by several male students in the corner of the classroom.
The girl, who had only recently enrolled, was named Monica Everett—better known as 〈Silent Everett〉.
She was a petite girl who was always silent, with her head bowed and a doll-like, expressionless face.
Apparently, the boys had become interested in the fact that Monica never spoke and wanted to make her their toy. They were excitedly arguing over who would be the one to make Monica talk.
One of the boys picked up a spider from beside the window and brought it close to Monica's face. Monica remained motionless, her head bowed.
"Hey, somebody pry this girl's mouth open! I'll shove this in there! Surely she'll at least scream then!"
Reacting to the boy's voice, another male student reached toward Monica's face... but pulled his hand back at the last moment.
The boy's sleeve was smoldering and smoking.
"Gah!? W-What is this!?"
"What do you think you're doing?"
Barney, who had cast the fire spell, spoke coldly, and the boys clicked their tongues in obvious annoyance.
"We were just getting to the good part. Don't butt in, goody-two-shoes."
"That disgraceful behavior is hardly befitting a noble... You should be ashamed of yourselves."
As he spoke, lifting the rim of his trademark glasses, the boys grew belligerent.
But Barney did not hesitate to use Quick Spell, surrounding the boys with arrows of flame.
The boys recoiled with grimaces, muttering in dismay, and Barney snorted at them.
"Do you really think you stand a chance against me, the top student in practical magic?"
Barney was the only genius in his year to have mastered Quick Spell. In a magical duel, the speed of one's incantation was crucial. Thus, no one could defeat Barney, who had mastered Quick Spell.
The boys clicked their tongues and sheepishly left the classroom.
Barney snapped his fingers, extinguishing the flaming arrows, and looked down at Monica.
"Can you stand?"
"..."
Monica's greenish-brown eyes were hazily fixed on the floor. The spider the boy had thrown lay in her line of sight.
Eventually, the spider began to skitter away, escaping through the window. Monica then looked up at Barney with her vacant eyes.
"Th-thank... you."
Her speech was awkward, but apparently 〈Silent Everett〉 really could produce a voice.
He was secretly surprised by that when Monica continued with words he couldn't let pass unnoticed.
"...For saving... the spider."
"Wait a moment."
How had she arrived at that conclusion?
Barney had saved Monica, not the spider.
Without thinking, Barney narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and glared at Monica.
"As it happens, I dislike insects. I saved you, not the spider."
Monica slowly blinked, then tilted her head to one side.
She seemed to ponder for a while, as though searching for the right words, then began to speak slowly.
"I'm... not... afraid of spiders."
"What?"
Barney wore an exasperated expression, while Monica faltered with the same blank face.
Looking at her properly, he realized she truly was a girl with no expression at all.
Her plain, unremarkable features might have had a little ordinary charm if she smiled, but apart from occasionally blinking slowly, almost none of her features moved.
Monica fell silent, still expressionless, but eventually she spoke in a mumble without moving her mouth much at all.
"...But if it went into my mouth, the spider would feel sorry... so... I'm glad you saved the spider."
"What kind of logic is that?"
When Barney spoke in exasperation, Monica lowered her head, still without changing her expression.
Barney scratched his cheek and asked about something that had been bothering him.
"You speak rather awkwardly. Are you not from this country?"
Monica shook her head from side to side, still expressionless. Apparently, she was not from a foreign land.
"I'm sorry... I practiced talking with my foster mother, but..."
At that point, Monica broke off and took a deep breath. It was as if someone who had forgotten how to use their voice had remembered how to breathe again.
"I went... a long time... without speaking... so the words... don't come out properly."
A long time without speaking... In other words, there had to be some circumstances behind it.
Looking at her painfully thin body compared to Barney, who was the same age, and her unhealthy complexion, he could vaguely tell that her circumstances must have been rather harsh.
Barney bent down in front of Monica and held out his hand.
"Can you stand?"
Monica stared wide-eyed at Barney's hand.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she clutched at the pocket of her uniform.
"Um... I don't have... very much money..."
Barney's cheek twitched.
"Could you not think so poorly of me? I'm a member of the proud Jones family. Surely you don't think I would extort money from you."
Even after Barney took Monica's hand and helped her to her feet, she still seemed hazy somehow. Like a doll merely pulled along by a puppeteer's strings.
When Barney brushed the dust from Monica's robe, her eyes widened ever so slightly. It was an extraordinarily subtle change in expression. Even so, Barney was strangely pleased that he had made this doll-like girl show an expression.
"Honestly, you are such a handful."
"...I'm sorry."
"Shouldn't that be thank you?"
When Barney said that, Monica's lips moved a little, fidgeting.
It was far too small a movement to call a smile, but the corners of her mouth had definitely lifted, if only slightly.
"...Thank... you."
"You're welcome."
* * *
From that day onward, Barney began looking after Monica at every opportunity.
Monica was truly a clumsy girl. She tripped over nothing, her hair was always a mess, and she often lost her belongings. She was a constant handful.
In her studies, she was every bit as capable as Barney when it came to magic formulas and anything involving numbers, but her grades in general education were catastrophic. She was especially hopeless at history and languages.
Whenever Barney would open his notes and explain things with a resigned, "I suppose it can't be helped," Monica would thank him in her awkward voice.
As they studied together every day, Monica's speech gradually became smoother, and her expressions grew more varied.
Whenever she had a problem, Monica would lower her brows and come crying to Barney, and whenever he fixed her messy hair, she would give a tiny smile, like a wildflower blooming.
Barney took pride in the fact that he had changed Monica.
──Thank you, Barney.
──Barney, Barney, heeelp meeee.
──Barney, you're amazing.
Monica's little comments always satisfied Barney's pride.
...The truth was, he had begun to notice, little by little.
Monica's hair was messy because her classmates had forcibly cut it. She often lost her belongings because they were being hidden from her.
Even so, Barney turned his eyes away from the truth and continued looking after Monica.
Surely, on some unconscious level, he wanted Monica to remain isolated.
The more isolated Monica was, the more she would rely on him.
That way, he could remain the dependable model student.
* * *
Minerva was an institution for training mages, so naturally it taught practical magic as well. However, students were forbidden from actually using magic for the first six months after enrollment.
Magic was a tremendous power that could cause a catastrophe if used incorrectly even once. That was why students spent at least six full months learning the fundamentals before moving on to practical training.
Having attended Minerva since he was seven, Barney could use every intermediate spell by the age of thirteen, as well as several advanced spells.
More than anything, he was the only student in his year to have mastered Quick Spell.
Thus, he had no rivals in practical training.
Monica, on the other hand, had only recently enrolled, and had just begun learning the fundamentals of practical magic.
Monica's understanding of magic formulas was extraordinarily high, so Barney was certain that once she learned to control her magical power, she would quickly catch up to him.
However, during her first practical training session...
"You there, when are you going to start?"
"...Ah... ...uh... ...uuuh..."
Even when prompted by the teacher, Monica merely stood there with her face deathly pale and her lips trembling. In the end, the class finished without her managing to use even a spell—or even recite an incantation.
As soon as recess began, Barney confronted Monica.
"What was that just now!? Your theory was perfect!"
"B-but... there were so many people watching... I'm scared... to speak in front of them."
Only then did Barney remember. Monica had become able to speak fairly normally in front of Barney, but she still could barely speak to anyone other than him.
"...I'm really scared of saying anything in front of people... The moment I say something, everyone looks at me, and that scares me... I'm scared of everyone's eyes..."
"If you keep saying things like that, you'll never be able to use magic."
"...Yeah."
Monica hung her head dejectedly, her eyes full of tears.
Monica must have been frustrated too. Barney had watched beside her and knew how seriously she had studied during those six months.
He wanted to do something for her... and then a brilliant idea crossed Barney's mind.
"That's it. If speaking in front of people is difficult for you, you can shorten your incantation."
"...Huh?"
"I'll teach you Quick Spell. With Quick Spell, your incantation would take only half as long, and you wouldn't feel as nervous, would you?"
At Barney's suggestion, Monica let her gaze wander and fidgeted with her fingers.
"B-but... can someone like me really do it?"
"I'm sure you can. I know how much you've studied the fundamentals. If it's you, I'm certain you'll understand Quick Spell in no time."
When Barney spoke with unusual passion, Monica's cheeks flushed, and she nodded repeatedly.
"Y-yeah... I'll do my best... Ehehe, Barney really is dependable."
"Hmph. Of course I am. After all, I'm going to become one of the Seven Sages."
When Barney puffed out his chest, Monica nodded with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah, I'm sure you can become one of the Seven Sages, Barney. You're amazing, after all."
Monica's simple praise tickled Barney's heart.
Barney had no doubt that the path to his brilliant future lay open before him.
...Not yet, at least.
* * *
The practical magic classroom was filled with an uproar.
Everyone had been rendered speechless, staring intently at the scene before them.
It was a technique no one present had ever seen before, an unprecedented feat—magic without incantation.
The person who had accomplished it was the girl who had ranked last in the practical examinations... Monica Everett.
(I don't know this... I don't know anything like this...)
Monica casually raised one hand, and a small whirlwind sprang up, twirling into a spiral.
All the while, Monica's mouth remained closed.
(I didn't teach her this!!)
Barney was dumbfounded.
The only thing he had taught Monica was how to use Quick Spell. Since she had learned to use Quick Spell when they were alone, Barney had assumed she would show it off in this class.
Once she demonstrated Quick Spell, surely the way everyone looked at Monica would change. Then Barney intended to proudly announce that he—and no one else—was the one who had taught Monica Quick Spell.
But what was happening before his eyes went far beyond Quick Spell.
Monica raised one hand again, and this time a bolt of ice appeared. This was magic without incantation, too.
Monica could use magic without incantations even with elements other than wind, her area of talent.
Monica had enrolled at Minerva six months ago. It had only been two weeks since she began practical training.
Monica Everett was a true genius in a realm that could not be reached through effort alone.
Barney let that fact sink in along with his despair.
As Monica received admiring looks, Barney felt only dark anger and jealousy.
Even though she could barely hold a conversation without Barney!
Even though she would have been all alone in class without Barney!
Even though she couldn't do anything without Barney!!
Feeling as if he had been terribly betrayed, Barney clenched his teeth.
Behind his glasses, his eyes were clouded with jealousy.
* * *
From the moment Monica demonstrated magic without incantation, the world around her changed completely.
Monica was treated as a special scholarship student and became the pupil of Professor Gideon Rutherford, the most prestigious professor at Minerva.
It was common knowledge that many of those who had studied under Professor Rutherford had gone on to become Seven Sages. Everyone whispered that Monica would become one of the Seven Sages in due course as well.
Monica began receiving personal instruction directly from Professor Rutherford and stopped attending regular classes for the most part. Naturally, that meant she had fewer and fewer opportunities to see Barney.
Barney had not spoken to Monica even once since the day she used magic without incantation.
Monica tried to speak to him several times, but Barney ignored her every time.
It was around then that the perfect future Barney had envisioned began to go awry, little by little.
Desperate to close the gap between himself and Monica, Barney trained recklessly. As a result, he suffered magical-power poisoning and was sent to the infirmary.
As the magic corroded his body and he writhed in agony, Barney came to hate Monica.
The reason he was suffering this much was all Monica's fault. He had gone wrong because Monica existed. It was all, all, all Monica's fault.
──Monica had ruined Barney's life!!
* * *
Monica was chosen as one of the Seven Sages in the winter of her fifteenth year.
Minerva was thrown into an uproar by the fact that the youngest-ever member of the Seven Sages had been chosen from among its students.
The entire school was especially excited on the day of the Seven Sages' investiture ceremony and parade. But the people's cheers, and all the voices praising Monica—every last one of them was grating noise to Barney's ears.
Even as his brother's spare, Barney had believed that mastering magic and becoming one of the Seven Sages would earn him recognition from those around him.
Barney had never doubted that he could become one of the Seven Sages.
But it was Monica, not Barney, who had been chosen. Barney had not even been invited to the selection process.
"Barney!"
Someone called out to him as he left Minerva's library. Monica was running toward him.
Now that she was one of the Seven Sages, she was no longer a student at the academy. She wore indigo robes that only the Seven Sages were permitted to wear, and the beautiful staff in her hand was another thing only the Seven Sages were allowed to possess.
Holding her staff against her chest, Monica fidgeted with her fingers. Those childish gestures, her overly thin body for her age, and her young face were all exactly the same as the Monica Barney knew.
But she was no longer Barney's friend. 〈Silent Everett〉 had become one of the Seven Sages, 〈Silent Witch〉.
"...Um, I-I wanted... I've wanted to thank you, Barney, for so long..."
Monica stammered as she desperately tried to string her words together.
Barney cut her off coldly.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"...Huh?"
Monica's face froze.
Ah, what a wonderful feeling. He wanted to twist that face into an even more pained expression.
"Thank me? Ha! Is that supposed to be sarcasm? You looked down on me in your heart all along, didn't you?"
"...Huh? W-why? That's not true, it's not... I thought you were my dear friend, Barney..."
"You're not my friend."
Tears slowly welled in Monica's wide-open eyes.
He wanted to hurt her more.
Monica should be torn to shreds, reduced to a hopeless wreck who could never recover.
"What a nasty person, coming all the way to see me in the Seven Sages' formal robes. Does it feel good, mocking me and looking down on me like that? Come on, tell me, Sage-sama."
A tear spilled from Monica's eye.
The tip of Monica's nose turned bright red, and she burst into tears like a child.
That disgraceful tear-streaked face and those sobs filled Barney's heart, if only a little.
"Even as one of the Seven Sages, what a disgraceful spectacle. You hardly seem like one of the Seven Sages at all. You'd be much better off hiding away in a mountain hut where no one lives."
Monica crouched down where she stood and sobbed.
Barney hurried past her and headed for his room.
The pitiful sobs reaching his ears eased his bitterness, if only a little.
After that, Barney never heard another word about the exploits of 〈Silent Witch〉, one of the Seven Sages.
Rumor had it that 〈Silent Witch〉 lived like a hermit in a mountain hut.
Surely Monica would never meet Barney again.
(...This is for the best.)
And so, Barney Jones finally regained his peace of mind.